Portugal Just Ran For 4 Days Straight On Sun, Wind, And Water Power Alone

''Portugal just ran its entire country on renewable power alone, for four days straight. From May, 7 until May, 11, the country used nothing but solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.

This is significant only partly because of the length of time that Portugal managed. More than 100 hours is impressive anywhere. But perhaps more important is that Portugal has beaten Northern European countries like Germany and the Netherlands. In Europe, southern countries like Portugal are often seen as lagging behind, or even backward, especially when it comes to renewables. Short-sighted policies like Spain’s Sun Tax don’t help (this taxes people who produce their own solar power and use it themselves, instead of feeding it into the grid), but Portugal’s record four-day run shows that the South isn’t just about golf and tourism...''

by CHARLIE SORREL